Electrical connector



Nov. 14, 1967 w. v. PAUZA ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed July '21; 1965 United States Patent 3,353,143 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR William Vito Pauza, Harrisburg, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed July 21, 1965, Ser. No. 473,605 Claims. (Cl. 339-128) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Electrical connector housing has spaced-apart bosses on its external surface which face in opposite directions towards each other to permit mounting of the housing in a panel opening from either end thereof with the plane of the panel disposed between the bosses. Panel-abutting means are provided on the housing extending therefrom in a plane midway between the opposed faces of the bosses. When housing is mounted in a panel, this panel abutting means is resiliently deformed and bears against the surface of the panel thereby to hold the housing against one surface of the panel.

This invention relates to electrical connectors, particularly of the type adapted to be mounted in an opening in a panel.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved electrical connector. A further object is to provide an improved connector having integral means thereon for mounting in an opening of a panel. A still further object is to provide a connector which can be mounted in a panel opening from either side of the panel. A further object is to provide a connector in the form of a unitary molding which is inexpensive to manufacture and which is substantially foolproof in operation.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved in a preferred embodiment in which the connector comprises a molded housing or block having a hood extending from one end thereof which surrounds contact terminals disposed in the cavities of the block. A first plurality of bosses in the form of inclined planes are provided on the surface of the housing which have shear sides facing rearwardly of the housing and a second plurality of bosses are provided which have shear sides facing forwardly. The shear sides of the bosses are spaced apart by a distance which is substantially equal to twice the maximum panel thickness contemplated. The bosses are resiliently movable inwardly to permit movement of the connector through a panel from either side, the arrangement being such that when the connector is inserted through a panel opening from one side, the shear sides of one group of bosses will bear against the panel surface. When the connector is inserted through the panel opening from the opposite side, the shear sides of the other group of inclined plane bosses bear against the panel surface. A T-shaped projection is integral with, and extends from, the surface of the housing in a plane extending transversely of the connector axis and disposed medially between the opposed shear sides of the bosses. The web portion of this projection is adapted to be resiliently deformed or flexed laterally of its plane in either direction of the connector axis, and the side edges of the head portion of this projection are adapted to bear against the panel surface after insertion. Depending upon which side of the panel the connector is inserted from, the T-shaped projection is deflected in either direction. After mounting in the panel, the connector is thus held in position and against the shear sides of one group of the inclined plane bosses by the elastically deformed projections.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the two parts of a connector assembly in accordance with the invention showing the parts disengaged from each other;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side view showing the receptacle portion of the connector mounted in a panel opening, the receptacle portion having been inserted through the panel opening from left to right in this view;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the relative positions of the parts when the connector receptacle is inserted from right to left; and

FIGURE 4 is a full side view of the receptacle prior to mounting in a panel.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, a complete connector assembly in accordance with the invention may comprise a receptacle portion 2 and a plug portion 4. Plug portion 4 comprises, in turn, a pair of blocks 6, 8 connected together by integral ribs 10. Both blocks are provided with cavities 11 in which contact sockets 13 are contained. It is understood that these contact sockets will be crimped or otherwise secured to conductors 14 which extend from the rearward end of the plug portion 4 of the connector.

The receptacle portion 2 of the connector, on which an improved mounting means is provided, also comprises a pair of block sections 16, 18 having cavities therein in which pin contacts 20 are mounted, only one such pin contact being shown in the drawing in the interest of clarity. Conductors secured to these pin contacts will extend from the rearward end of the blocks 16, 18 as shown at 21.

A hood 22 extends forwardly from the mating faces of the block sections 16, 18 and surrounds the projecting pins 20. This hood has top and bottom walls 24 and sidewalls 26, the sidewalls having a central constricted section 28, the width of which is substantially equal to the spacing between the outside surfaces of the ribs 10'.

In use, the plug portion 4 is inserted into the hood to engage the contact pins 20 with the contact sockets 13.

It will be noted that the central constricted section 28 of the housing is not symmetrical with respect to the vertical axis. This non-symmetrical central section is provided intentionally in order to control the orientation of the housing when it is inserted into an opening in a panel.

The panel opening would, of course, also be non-symmetrical so that insertion of the housing could take place only when the housing is properly oriented with respect to the panel opening.

A first group of bosses in the form of inclined planes 30 are provided on the sidewalls 26 of the hood adjacent to the forward end of the hood. These bosses have rearwardly facing shear surfaces 32. which, as will be explained below, are adapted to bear against the surface of a panel when the connector is inserted through a panel opening from left to right as viewed in the drawing. A second group of bosses 34 in the form of inclined planes have forwardly facing shear surfaces 36 which are adapted to bear against the surface of the panel when insertion is from right to left through the panel opening. The spacing between the surfaces 32, 36 is slightly greater than twice the thickness of the thickest panel in which the receptacle member is adapted to be mounted.

Slots 38 extend inwardly from the front end of the hood on each side of the upper pair of bosses 30, 34 so that the section of the hood between these slots can be deflected inwardly to permit passage of the inclined plane bosses through the panel opening. These deformable sections cannot be moved inwardly after the plug portion 4 has been inserted into the hood since the deformable sections bear against the sides of the plug 4.

T-shaped projections, comprising webs 40 and head sections 42, extend from the upper and lower sides 24 of the hood as shown in FIGURE 4. The web portions of these projections are disposed in a plane extending normally of the connector axis and midway between the planes of the opposed surfaces 32, 36 of the bosses 30, 34. The thickness of these webs should be such that the projections can be deflected in either direction of the connector axis as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

Advantageously, an integral flange or rib 44, coplanar with the plane of the web 40 of the T-shaped projection, is provided on the upper and lower sides 24 and extends downwardly on each side to the first one of the slots 38. Additional ribs 46 are provided in the plane of the web 40 and on the sidewalls 26 between the intermediate notches 38.

It will be understood that in use, the panel 48 will be provided with an opening conforming to the crosssectional configuration of the hood. When the connector receptacle 2 must be mounted in this opening from the right-hand side, as viewed in FIGURE 2, the recetpacle is merely aligned with the opening and pushed therethrough. The edges of the opening will ride over the inclined surfaces of the inclined plane bosses 30 and flex the portions of the hood between the slots 38 inwardly until the shear surfaces 32 of the bosses 30 pass through the opening at which time these surfaces will move beyond the edges of the opening. During insertion, the web 46 of the T-shaped projections is flexed rightwardly and the edge 50 of the head of the projection forced against the right-hand surface of the panel. The T-shaped projections thus function as a resilient holding means tending to move the connector receptacle rightwardly in FIGURE 2 and to hold the surfaces 32 against the left-hand surface of the panel.

When the receptacle is inserted from left to right (FIG- URE 3), the edges of the panel move relatively over the inclined surfaces of the bosses 34 until the shear surfaces 36 bear against the surface of the panel. During such insertion, the T-shaped projection is deflected in the opposite direction as is apparent from FIGURE 3.

A substantial advantage of the invention is that it provides an integral mounting means and permits insertion through the panel opening from either side. These advantages are, moreover, provided in a device which can be molded as an integral unit. It will be noted that the two bosses 30, 34 of each assocated pair are laterally offset from each other. This arrangement permits the receptacle to be manufactured in a single-action mold (i e., one which does not have laterally extending core pins).

Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art and various apparently different modifications and embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective against the prior art.

I claim:

1. An electrical connector housing comprising a block having a cavity extending therethrough for reception of a contact terminal, said block having a pair of bosses thereon, said bosses being spaced-apart by a distance greater than the thickest panel in which said housing is adapted to be mounted, said bosses providing opposed surfaces adapted to bear against a side of said panel, panelabutting means integral With, and extending from said block, said panel-abutting means being disposed in a plane extending transversely of the axis of said housing and between the planes of said opposed surfaces, said housing being insertable through an opening in a panel from either side thereof with concomitant deflection of one of said bosses until said panel is disposed between said one boss and said panel-abutting means, said housing being held on said panel by the bearing of said one boss and by said abutting means on opposite sides of said panel.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bosses comprise spaced-apart inclined planes, said inclined planes giaving opposed shear sides constituting said opposed sur-.

aces.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said panelabutting means comprises a T-shaped projection having a web and a head portion, said web being disposed in said plane and said head portion extending laterally of said plane in both directions of the axis of said housing, said web being elastically deformable in both directions of said axis whereby side edge portions of said head bear against said panel when said housing is mounted in an opening in said panel.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing comprises a hood portion extending axially from said block at the mating end thereof, a pair of parallel slots 7 extending axially inwardly on said hood portion defining a deformable section, said bosses extending from said deformable section thereby to permit insertion of said housing into a panel opening.

5. An electrical connector housing capable of being mounted in a panel from either side thereof, said housing comprising block means having a cavity extending therethrough for reception of a contact terminal, said housing having inclined plane bosses on its external surface, said bosses being spaced-apart in the direction of the axis of said housing with the shear sides of said bosses facing each other, the spacing between said shear sides being greater than the thickest panel in which said housing is adapted to be mounted, a T-shaped projection comprising a web and a head portion on said external surface, the central axis of said projection lying in a plane extending transversely of said axis with the laterally extending portions of said head portion extending parallel to said axis, said web portion being deformable laterally of its axis, said housing being mountable in a panel opening with either one of said shear sides bearing against one side of said panel and with one side of said head portion bearing against the other side of said panel, said web being flexed when said housing is mounted in a panel and resiliently biasing said housing axially relative to said panel and one of said shear sides is disposed against said panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,424,574 7/ 1947 Marco 339- X 2,809,361 10/1957 Woofter et al 339176 2,891,103 6/1959 Swengel 339-126 X MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HOUSING COMPRISING A BLOCK HAVING A CAVITY EXTENDING THERETHROUGH FOR RECEPTION OF A CONTACT TERMINAL, SAID BLOCK HAVING A PAIR OF BOSSES THEREON, SAID BOSSES BEING SPACED-APART BY A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE THICKEST PANEL IN WHICH SAID HOUSING IS ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED, SAID BOSSES PROVIDING OPPOSED SURFACES ADAPTED TO BEAR AGAINST A SIDE OF SAID PANEL, PANELABUTTING MEANS INTEGRAL WITH AND EXTENDING FROM SAID BLOCK, SAID PANEL-ABUTTING MEANS BEING DISPOSED IN A PLANE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE AXIS OF SAID HOUSING AND BETWEEN THE PLANES OF SAID OPPOSED SURFACES, SAID HOUSING BEING INSERTABLE THROUGH AN OPENING IN A PANEL FROM EITHER SIDE THEREOF WITH CONCOMITANT DEFLECTION OF ONE OF SAID BOSSES UNTIL SAID PANEL IS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID ONE BOSS AND SAID PANEL-ABUTTING MEANS, SAID HOUSING BEING HELD ON SAID PANEL BY THE BEARING OF SAID ONE BOSS AND BY SAID ABUTTING MEANS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID PANEL. 